Ballon D'Or 2013: Date, Nominees, Venue and Preview of Award Ceremony

The race for the Ballon d’Or has not been without drama this year.

FIFA courted controversy when they extended the voting window for the award from Nov. 15 to Nov. 29—per ESPN.co.uk—and there has been plenty of heated debate on the topic since the shortlist was first announced. 

It seems as though everyone has an opinion on who should be bestowed with the coveted individual award when the winner is announced in Zurich early next year.

Event: 
FIFA Ballon d’Or

Venue: 
Kongresshaus, Zurich (Switzerland)

Date: 
13 January 2014 

Historically, the award has been dished out to attack-minded players. Per FIFA.com, 52 of the previous 57 winners have gone about the majority of their business in the opponent’s half of the pitch, while only one goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, has emerged victorious. 

Ten footballers have been crowned while playing for Barcelona, according to FIFA, which makes the La Liga champions the most represented club in Ballon d’Or history. 

Italian clubs Juventus and AC Milan follow suit with eight apiece, while Real Madrid (six) Bayern Munich (five) and Manchester United (four) round out the top six. 

The 23-man shortlist for the 2013 edition is bursting with flair, skill and leadership. From Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer right through to Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Paris Saint-Germain, there isn’t a weak link amongst the bunch.

Player	Club	Country
Gareth Bale	Real Madrid	Wales
Edison Cavani	Paris Saint-Germain	Uruguay
Cristiano Ronaldo	Real Madrid	Portugal
Falcao	Monaco	Colombia
Eden Hazard	Chelsea	Belgium
Zlatan Ibrahimovic	Paris Saint-Germain	Sweden
Andres Iniesta	Barcelona	Spain
Philipp Lahm	Bayern Munich	Germany
Robert Lewandowski	Borussia Dortmund	Poland
Lionel Messi	Barcelona	Argentina
Thomas Muller	Bayern Munich	Germany
Manuel Neuer	Bayern Munich	Germany
Neymar	Barcelona	Brazil
Mesut Ozil	Arsenal	Germany
Andrea Pirlo	Juventus	Italy
Franck Ribery	Bayern Munich	France
Arjen Robben	Bayern Munich	Holland
Bastian Schweinsteiger	Bayern Munich	Germany
Luis Suarez	Liverpool	Uruguay
Thiago Silva	Paris Saint-Germain	Brazil
Yaya Toure	Manchester City	Ivory Coast
Robin van Persie	Manchester United	Holland
Xavi	Barcelona	Spain

But for all the talent on show, it appears three players have stood out above the rest: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery.

The question now is what makes a great player? Is it individual records? Or is it about winning silverware with your team?

Ribery is confident it is the latter. 

Per the The Independent, the Frenchman said Bayern Munich’s unprecedented treble was “historic” and that he is “confident” of adding the Ballon d’Or to his European Player of the Year gong. 

He also added that while he may not score in every match, he has “set the defences on fire” this year. 

But you only need to take a look at the first-ever winner of the Ballon d’Or to see that silverware isn’t always the most important factor.  

England’s Sir Stanley Matthews won the inaugural prize in 1956 at the age of 41. He was lauded for his individual talent, but the only silverware he ever won was an FA Cup title with Blackpool in 1953, according to FIFA. 

Both Ronaldo and Messi, who won the La Liga title with Barcelona this year, have once more notched remarkable numbers for their respective clubs this season. 

Ronaldo has scored 53 goals for his club since the turn of the year, while Messi has bagged 37—per Soccerbase. 

If the voters are fans of personal tallies, then Ronaldo will be the favourite to clinch the prize. 

According to Ben Hayward of Goal.com, the Portuguese forward has scored more goals for club and country than Messi and Ribery combined this season. 

All three players are currently injured, but with voting set to close Nov. 29, most will have already cast their nominations. 

Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Sweden, which secured his country’s spot at next year’s World Cup, will have been fresh in the mind of those voting. 

If the Real Madrid star can prevent Messi getting his hands on a fifth gong, he will become the 10th player to have won multiple Ballon d’Or crowns after picking up his first in 2008.